The
second standalone Star
Wars
film, Solo:
A Star Wars Story
(2018) is the Star
Wars
film that fans didn't know they wanted. Being one the harshest
critical fanbases in movie history, the film had some trouble during
production and ultimately didn't make the money at the box office as
was hoped. Now, the future of the spinoff Star
Wars
stories are in question. It was rumored that this would be the first
part in a rumored trilogy (which I would be all about) but that is
now uncertain as it didn't make numbers as high as previous
installments. Still, it did gross more than its budget so its as of
this writing uncertain what LucasFilm plans to do next after Episode
9 in
2019.

Part
of its unsuccessful run was timing. It was released in the packed
month of May and released while us nerds were still soaking up
Deadpool
2 and
The
Avengers: Infinity War
and the other part was with fans who decided to boycott the film
after The
Last Jedi
failed to impress them or other lame reasons. The truth of the
matter is that Solo
is an incredibly fun genre film directed by Ron Howard (who also
directed LucasFilm's Willow)
and is a worthy entry in the franchise that reimagines original
trilogy characters as a bit younger and answers some questions fans
have always wondered about a few of their favorite characters.

How
did Han first meet Chewbacca? What about Lando (played by Donald
Glover)? How did Han become captain of the Millennium Falcon and
make the Kessel run? These are questions we Star Wars fans have
always wondered and now have an answer to.

Portrayed
by Alden Ehrenreich instead of a CGI-ed young Harrison Ford, the
character is portrayed as a young smuggler trying to find his way in
a war torn galaxy. He loses his first love Qi'ra (played by the
beautiful Emilia Clarke of Game
of Thrones
fame), joins the Empire as a means to survive, and unexpectedly meets
a mentor in Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) and a best friend in the
wookiee Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo). The film also features
characters played by Jon Faverau, Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany,
Warwick Davis, Clint Howard, and a very special cameo appearance by a
Star Wars fan favorite villain.

This
is the second Star
Wars
film to be released on the 4K UHD format and much like The
Last Jedi,
is an impressive
presentation to say the least. Presented in 2160p HEVC/H.265, HDR
(10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image and a
2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratio. As for the audio, the film has
several mixes to choose from on this disc including English 7.1.4
Dolby Atmos lossless mix, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio, Thai 5.1
Dolby Digital, Spanish and French 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus.

In
terms of the film's score, this time Harry Gregson Williams takes the
spot and crafts a beautiful score that should be purchased and
listened to on its own. Using a theme by John Williams, the score
blends in well with other soundtracks in the series.

Also
included is a 1080p Blu-ray disc with DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 7.1
lossless sound at its best and video specs. The detail is clearly
stronger in the 4K UHD disc when you compare the two editions with
more detail on the film's intricate visual effects and characters. I
can't until Disney releases The
Force Awakens
and Rogue
One
onto the 4K UHD format as the upscale is certainly welcome for these
highly imaginative films.

A
digital copy is also included.

SPECIAL
FEATURES:

Solo:
The Director & Cast Roundtable
- Sit down with director Ron Howard and the stars for an intimate and
entertaining discussion of the film's making.

Team
Chewie
- See what it takes to bring your favorite Wookiee to life in this
lighthearted look behind the scenes.

Kasdan
on Kasdan
- Iconic Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and son Jonathan
share what it was like to write the movie's script together.

Remaking
the Millennium Falcon
- Track the transformation of the most famous ship in the galaxy,
from Lando's swank and impeccable pride and joy to Han's
stripped-down hot-rod freighter with 'special modifications.'

Escape
from Corellia
- Get behind the wheel for the making of this high-octane chase
through the streets of Corellia.

The
Train Heist
- Explore the challenges and thrills of creating this action-packed
sequence, including its remote location and spectacular effects.

Becoming
a Droid: L3-37
- Meet the newest droid... and the talented actor who helps bring her
to life.

Scoundrels,
Droids, Creatures and Cards: Welcome to Fort Ypso
- Take an in-depth tour of the rough-and-tumble bar where strangers
mix and gamblers risk all in the legendary card game, Sabaac.

Into
the Maelstrom: The Kessel Run
- Join Han and Chewie at the controls of the Millennium Falcon to see
how this legendary moment in Star Wars history unfolds.

Deleted
Scenes:

Proxima's
Den

Corellian
Foot Chase

Han
Solo: Imperial Cadet

The
Battle of Mimban: Extended

Han
Versus Chewie: Extended

Snowball
Fight!

Meet
Dryden: Extended

Coaxium
Double-Cross

The
Millennium Falcon: From Page to Park
- An exclusive look at the history of the most famous ship in the
galaxy, its origin and development, and how it will translate in one
of the most anticipated expansions in Disneyland's history.

While
it's not quite as awesome as Rogue
One,
Solo
is a fresh story for the franchise and gives me hope that they will
continue it in a further installment. Hopefully now that it's on
video it will find the larger audience that it deserved in cinemas
early in the summer. As a fan, I truly hope they decide to continue
this storyline even if young Han makes a cameo in another standalone
Star
Wars
story. There are plenty of seeds planted in the film that could pay
off later to fan acclaim if they just continue the story set up here,
which was written by Star
Wars
screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and his son.